Onitsuka Tiger RTW Fall 2023
The road to elevating a sportswear-rooted brand can be bumpy, but Andrea Pompilio is taking small steps each season, adding fashion cred to Asics-owned Onitsuka Tiger.
He started a few seasons ago by referencing Japanese masters, moved on to parading his idea of basics and for fall he recontextualized sportswear as part of a broader conversation about dressing leisurely for today’s active and hectic lifestyle.
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His trajectory finally came into focus.
The first look — a woolen felt suit cut loose — seemed like a declaration of the show’s key tropes: tailoring borrowing proportions and ease from the comfiest tracksuits, so much so that blazers were often layered atop one another.
Oversize peacoats and military-inflected double-breasted numbers came in thick and textured woolen fabrics. They were occasionally zhushed up by padded panels at the back taken from bomber jackets and mid-layers, while gabardine parkas had contrasting strings fluttering as models nonchalantly strode down the catwalk. Knits crafted from pressed angora wool had a tactile and furry feel, coming across as elevated WFH pieces, often paired with long johns.
Pompilio tossed in a few girly frocks, shirtdresses and short numbers done in lightweight organza and jersey nipped at the waist and draped on the torso, which somewhat distracted from the collection’s otherwise cohesive message.
He cast models of different ages, including Marie Sophie Wilson, a Martin Margiela favorite back in the day. “We’re proud of the young customer base we have, we’re continuing to nurture it, yet I’m almost in my 50s and, look, I’m wearing Onitsuka Tiger,” Pompilio said backstage.
Launch Gallery: Onitsuka Tiger RTW Fall 2023
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